Council backs funding for ShotSpotter

STOCKTON - The Stockton City Council rejected a proposed $160,000 discretionary fund for each council district and $90,000 budget allotment for a mayor's aide so that money could instead fund the Police Department's ShotSpotter gunfire detection system, and possibly increased library hours.

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By Keith Reid

recordnet.com

By Keith Reid

Posted May. 29, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Keith Reid

Posted May. 29, 2014 at 12:01 AM

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STOCKTON - The Stockton City Council rejected a proposed $160,000 discretionary fund for each council district and $90,000 budget allotment for a mayor's aide so that money could instead fund the Police Department's ShotSpotter gunfire detection system, and possibly increased library hours.

That sentiment, however, came much to Mayor Anthony Silva's chagrin at a Wednesday night budget workshop meeting at City Hall. Silva called the rejection of an aide for his office and $20,000 discretionary money for each council district and $40,000 for him "political grandstanding."

"To feel like you guys will basically stop the office of the mayor - and we've been getting along very well the last few months - I think that's silly," Silva told the council. "Understand what you're saying. You're approving a budget of $632 million, and trying to save $20,000 in each council district is silly."

The debate simmered at the tail end of back-to-back budget workshops where the council heard spending plans for all of the city's departments. City Manager Kurt Wilson proposed the discretionary fund as a way for the city to "stop telling you guys (on the council) 'no' " and allowing them money to do small things in their districts: buy plaques for outstanding citizens, mow an overgrown lawn on a neighborhood corner that has become an eyesore, or whatever makes sense for each council member.

Council members Kathy Miller, Moses Zapien, Elbert Holman, Dyane Burgos Medina and Michael Tubbs all quickly rejected that idea, along with the mayor's aide, and all turned their attention to ShotSpotter, a program that Police Chief Eric Jones said is unfunded. Vice Mayor Paul Canepa was less clear on his position either way.

"We have to sell this budget to the public, and for me to say I'm going to accept $20,000 but not fund something like ShotSpotter, I can't support that," Tubbs said.

Police have used ShotSpotter on a nine-month free trial period on a 2-square-mile portion of south Stockton. The technology practically instantaneously tells police where gunshots occur.

Wilson made it clear during Tuesday's budget workshop this week that ShotSpotter and its $100,000 annual price tag to cover the 2-square-mile area is not being considered a necessity in the city's long-term planning process as it prepares to emerge from Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

Jones has said the program is extremely valuable to police.

ShotSpotter helped police record 322 incidents of gunfire from August through February. The public only reported 19 percent of those incidents through calls to 911.

"Gunfire is not always reported by the community, and this gives us an accurate depiction of what's happening out there," Jones said.

In its first seven months, ShotSpotter helped lead to the discovery of two homicides and five gunshot victims and the recovery of 10 firearms, according to police. Gunfire incidents are down 50 percent from August 2013, police said.

Jones said he has not asked for ShotSpotter to be paid for out of the general fund. Instead, he said he has looked to the Stockton Police Foundation to raise money for the program. The foundation has raised $20,000, not enough to support the current program.

Silva said he doesn't have a problem working out a way to fund ShotSpotter. He said the council could have chosen a plethora of ways to come up with $80,000 without sacrificing his opportunity to hire an aide. He said the mayor's office has a budget of "zero dollars" and needs a staff to keep the public in tune with the council, and to be happy with the direction the city is going.

He said past mayors have had aides. The whole concept of him hiring an aide, he said, stems from his inability over the past two years to appoint a public information officer.

SIlva said he was told by former City Manager Bob Deis that he could appoint a PIO, but that the city would not fund it. Connie Cochran has long been the city's PIO, but her title changed, Silva said.

"This was (city) staff's way to keep the peace," Silva said.

Whether or not the combined $250,000 for the discretionary fund and mayor's aide will pay for more than one year of ShotSpotter remains to be seen.

Wilson said Tuesday that with an eye on the city's long-term fiscal solvency, he recommended the council be careful in its spending decisions to avoid the risk of repeating financial mistakes of the past. He suggested any renewed funding for ShotSpotter be considered one-time spending.

"If the other donations and grant funds look like they're going to come through but they just need some more time, that would make it much easier ... if the plan was not to have to keep going back to the well," Wilson said.

The City Council is expected to vote on the 2014-15 budget June 24.

Record staff writer Roger Phillips contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/edublog and on Twitter @Kreidme.